A Certain Intimacy

by Blythe Stone

  She did her bra next in slow torturing inches at a time. When it was gone she moved her hands to tease her own nipples with her fingers. Her hips swayed as she did it and she moved her hands down to push her joggers off. Then, she stood before Nat in nothing but her underwear.

  Nat was amused, simmering patiently with wet eyes and her mind on destruction.

  Iris put her thumbs under the fabric at her own hips and pulled her underwear down slowly, the fingers of her right hand came back up to play with her folds. She made sure Nat could see what she was doing before she got closer and looked down.

  Nat had been biting her own lip and patiently staring at her. Ever since the trailer, she certainly had sex on her mind. Striptease aside, Iris didn’t have to do anything to attract Nat. Nat was already interested.

  She sat up and reached out to pull Iris close. “Come ‘ere,” Nat said, bringing Iris's body into a reachable distance.

  She kissed above her curls and drew her tongue along her smooth bikini line.

  Iris moved her fingers out of Nat’s way and readied herself to feel everything that Nat wanted to do to her.

  Nat kissed the fronts of Iris's thighs, sucking her skin up into her mouth and biting it a little.

  She sat back then, unzipping her dress and pulling the top of it down. Looking up at her, she unhooked her bra and let it drop. When she leaned forward now she licked a trail all the way up Iris's body until she stood and could concentrate on Iris’s neck.

  “I could stare at your body for hours,” Iris said.

  Nat sucked at her neck and licked her earlobe into her mouth, holding the other side of Iris's head with her hand. “Lay down for me,” Nat breathed.

  Iris did what she said and laid on the couch, looking up at her with a vulnerability Nat hadn’t seen before.

  Nat wasn't sure what Iris wanted. All she knew was that she wanted to taste her again.

  Shelving her craving she pushed the rest of her clothes off and straddled Iris's stomach. If the girl liked to see her she’d love this, other people always did.

  Nat let her wet sex rest against Iris’s soft skin and she pulled Iris’s hand up into the both of hers beginning to suck on her fingers as she rolled her eyes and started to roll her hips so her sex and her body would move against Iris’s tummy and Iris could see.

  Iris watched her with wonder and a want to touch. She placed her unoccupied hand on Nat’s hip and followed her motion, to try and give her more friction against her sex.

  Nat bucked her hips and pushed Iris's hand down ontop of her breast. Iris teased her nipple between her index finger and thumb, rolling it back and forth.

  “Ah!” Nat gasped, lowering her upper body down so that her breasts would be close to Iris's face.

  Iris took the hint and surrounded Nat’s other nipple with her lips, using her tongue to tease this nipple while she continued to do the same to the other. She rocked her body into Nat’s harder.

  “You wanna play?” Nat whined, kissing her head and scooting her body down as she started to kiss at her skin. She let her body stretch out and sunk her side into the crack of the couch.

  Iris was breathless but she managed to calm herself long enough to speak.

  “I want you to fuck me with your tongue,” Iris said.

  Nat huffed out a breath and openly smiled. “You know I like that, huh,” she asked, a little achy.

  “You’re really not alone. You can probably make me cum as many times as you want just by doing that,” Iris explained.

  “It's all I can think about,” Nat breathed. She licked up Iris's neck until she got to her ear and could whisper. “I wanna taste that you want me,” she said.

  “The proof is there,” Iris gasped and clung to Nat’s shoulders. “Go find it,” she whispered back.

  Nat began to scoot her body down, she changed positions and hovered over Iris's breasts. As she kissed her way down her body all that Iris could see was her hair and her boobs.

  Nat settled between her legs and led Iris's thighs up so her sex would be off the couch and free to the air.

  To be mean she licked her sex lightly, teasing the plump lips and swollen opening. She heard a growl from above, totally guttural and frustrated.

  “Natalia you’re being mean but I have to admit that I like it,” Iris said.

  Hearing that made Nat want to play with her more.

  “Wait here,” she said, getting up and walking away.

  Nat ran off to the kitchen. Iris could vaguely hear Nat's bare feet on the ground and the sound of the fridge being opened.

  “Ugh,” Iris grunted.

  She felt the loss of contact and wanted to run after her but stayed where she was, waiting impatiently.

  Nat came back pretty fast, using her hands she helped herself back to her previous place, separated Iris's folds with her thumbs and pressed her extra cold mouth in against Iris's clit.

  “Fuck!” The shock made Iris's sex throb.

  Nat let the ice get nice and melty against her tongue and then she let the water sit in her mouth as she kissed and teased her sex. Nat's eyes rolled at Iris's taste. It was lovely.

  Iris lost it, writhing underneath Natalie.

  “Fuck, Natalie.” Iris's body shook and her eyes closed tight. “Jesus!”

  Nat licked her one last time, swallowing all the fluid down and then moving up on her body to push the fronts of Iris's thighs down closer to her stomach. When she dipped down now she sucked on Iris's clit, making noise.

  Then, the half-words came back, hurled from Iris's mouth, like prayers to a goddess that only existed between her legs.

  She came quickly and expressed more fluid than Nat had wetted her with. Her breathing was ragged and she was frozen except for the movement caused by the force of air expelling from her lungs over and over.

  Nat pulled Iris's legs back down and fished a piece of ice from the cup she had brought. Staring, she crawled up over her body, dragging the point of the ice up Iris’s middle and then circling it around her nipples and watching as her body rose and fell and the cube began to quickly melt.

  She laid down at her side and licked at her neck. “I didn't even get to fuck you,” she whispered tenderly.

  “You should. I'm already good to go,” Iris said.

  She pulled Nat down into a kiss, losing herself.

  This time when Natalie started to rub her wet sex against Iris's stomach she was doing it for herself. It was fevered and driven, a need and a reward all at once.

  Chapter 11

  The Living Ghost

  The next morning, they were woken by the ring of a cell phone. Iris's head shot up and she blinked in the early morning light.

  “Mmm, Nat,” she groaned and lay back down. “I think that's your phone.”

  Nat moved a little and instead of answering she kissed Iris's skin. “Answer it, baby,” she whispered, not entirely there.

  Iris reached out to the nightstand and took Nat's phone, opening one eye enough to slide over and answer the call.

  “Hello,” she mumbled.

  “Um. Natalie?” It was a young woman's voice. She spoke like she knew there was a stranger on the line.

  “She's right here but grumpy and asleep. Let me see if I can wake her up.”

  “Babe, wake up,” Iris urged, kissing Nat's shoulder and giving it a nip.

  “Mmm,” Nat hummed, waking a little.

  “Uh. Who is this?” The woman asked on the phone.

  “Uh, I'll give her the phone now,” Iris said.

  “No, wait,” the woman asked.

  Iris stopped and kept the phone.

  “Okay,” Iris said.

  She worried her lip and tried to keep calm.

  “I'm here,” she said.

  “What's your name,” the woman laughed.

  “Iris, what's yours?”

  “It's nice to hear your voice, Iris,” the woman confessed. “I'm Olivia. I was so worried last night. Nat usually sends a message to let me know she’s
okay. She doesn't have many people. I couldn't get a hold of her.”

  “That was probably my fault. I'm sorry. I promise she's fine and… actually snoring a little. It's cute,” Iris said.

  “Can I talk to her,” Olivia wondered.

  Iris cleared her throat and closed her eyes. Her heart was going so fast and her stomach churned. She pursed her lips and looked down at Nat.

  “Yeah… yeah,” Iris said, realising she hadn't answered.

  She put a hand on Nat's exposed shoulder and shook her lightly.

  “Nat, it's Olivia. She wants to talk to you.”

  Nat groaned and reached for Iris, wanting her lips.

  “Kiss me,” she asked. Her first request upon waking.

  Iris obliged and gave Nat a slow, soft kiss.

  “Mmm,” Nat hummed, eyes finally opening to focus and see.

  Iris kissed her cheek and handed her the phone.

  Nat looked down at it, saw who it was and her eyes flared open as she scooted back on the bed to sit up.

  “Hello?” She asked, fixing her hair as if Olivia could see.

  “Yeah, hello?!” Olivia asked, annoyed.

  “Oh my god. Oh my god,” Nat covered her face with her hand. “I'm so sorry baby.”

  “No no no, you don't get to so sorry baby me. Eleven hours Natalie. It's been eleven fucking hours. Do you have any idea how crazy that makes me?”

  “Yeah,” Nat sighed, looking over at Iris nervously. “Livia, I-I suck. I'm so sorry.”

  Iris scooted off the bed and went to the bathroom. She groaned and sat on the toilet. That word, baby, had hit her. Nat called her baby and that was something she hadn't heard her call anyone else.

  She could still hear Nat's half of the conversation. Leaving the bed had been a bad idea. At least, she could touch Nat in bed. Olivia couldn't do that from wherever she was.

  She peed, flushed, and washed her hands, walking back to slip under the covers.

  Nat was laughing. They were joking or something. “Okay. I gotta go.”

  “Tell Iris she’s really sweet,” Olivia said.

  “I will,” Nat smiled, looking down at her new friend.

  “Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  The call ended and Nat dropped the phone down onto the bed, turning onto her side to face Iris and be alone with her. “God. I am such a shit,” Nat laughed, touching her hand to Iris's waist and tugging on her.

  “It’s okay, she knows you’re okay now,” Iris said.

  She scooted into Nat’s arms and lay her head down. Her cheek was right above the spot Nat’s heart lay in deep down under her skin and bone. Iris could hear her heart beating steady and strong.

  “Aww.. sweetie,” Nat said, rubbing her back. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I slept really hard and you make a comfortable pillow.” She nuzzled her nose into Nat’s skin. “How are you?”

  “Um. Besides being terrible?” Nat groaned.

  “You’re not terrible. That’s a little harsh,” Iris said.

  “No. I am terrible. I told her I'd text her when I got home. That's pretty fucked,” Nat said guilty. “Not that I regret anything.”

  “Well, she forgave you so I suppose all is well. She said you text her every night to tell her you’re okay.”

  “Usually,” Nat said. “She was probably up all night stressed and worried. I'm actually surprised she didn't fly out. Olivia would. Anyway,” Nat said. “You're right. I'm okay. We're okay.”

  Nat squeezed Iris tighter.

  “That’s an intense level of worry to buy a flight to Vancouver. I mean, I can relate but damn,” Iris said and then rubbed Nat’s side. “I’d at least give you until 7 am before I booked a flight,” she said.

  Iris kind of wished that she was joking but her anxiety was that bad.

  “I know,” Nat sighed, being sweet. “We've been through so many fucked up things. And money isn't an issue so things are a little different if you look at it that way. Eleven hours can mean the difference between someone being alive and being dead. I know that's dramatic. I'm sorry,” Nat said.

  “So, your ex is beautiful and rich? What a combination.” Iris pretended it was a joke and kept touching Nat’s soft skin. “I get it. I’d be worried too and I’d probably kiss you before I kicked your ass for it.”

  Nat felt the sudden harshness in the off-hand comments. She knew it was probably mean to think of it that way but she couldn't stop. She’d been through so much with Olivia. It was the only thing in her life she could trust and depend on.

  “Olivia's sweet,” she said, kissing Iris's forehead and moving to get up.

  “I bet she was even more worried when some stranger answered your phone.”

  “I don't think so,” Natalie said, a little hurt. She moved to start to dress.

  “I just mean, I’m a stranger to her,” Iris said. She sat up and started to look around for her clothes, realizing that they were out in the living room.

  “A stranger who she'd already heard about, Iris,” Natalie said. She wasn't able to look at her. It hurt that Iris had distracted her enough that she hurt Olivia. Even if it was dumb, Nat needed time to come to terms with it.

  Iris went out to get her clothes, not saying anymore. She dressed next to the chair and found her shoes by the door. Something had upset Nat. Iris had too many possibilities on her mind to find just one. She hated that she hadn’t screened the call. She wouldn’t have answered.

  Then, she wouldn’t have to hear how nice Olivia was and she could hate her. Iris was afraid that Nat’s love for Olivia would make her change her mind. She went back to the bedroom and leaned against the wall, waiting for Nat.

  Nat had thrown a hoodie on and some leggings. She threw her hair up again and walked back over to Iris to check on her. She got close and pulled her in for a hug. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. It was super tortured and loving.

  Every time Nat said she was sorry, Iris thought she was going to follow it with goodbye. She hugged Nat back and buried her face in Nat’s neck.

  “Nothing to be sorry about,” Iris murmured.

  “This is all my shit baby,” Nat whispered.

  “I like your shit. I like all of you that I’ve seen,” she replied and pulled back to look at Nat. “Everyone has shit. It’s just life. When you find someone that likes you because of your shit, and not in spite of it, that’s special.” She kissed Nat and pulled her into another hug.

  Nat's eyes burned. She couldn't talk to Iris yet, about anything. Relationships were hard. And Olivia wasn't an easy person to explain.

  “We should go,” Nat said, on the verge of crying. She sniffed and started to walk toward the door.

  “Yep,” Iris said, following her, grabbing a tissue from the box on the side table on her way out.

  Nat led the way to the elevator and they got in. Iris pushed the button and handed Nat the tissue.

  “Thanks,” Nat said, trying to keep it together.

  “Sure.” She took Nat’s other hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry if I made things awkward.”

  “Babe, you're great. This is me,” Nat laughed through frustration. “I'll be fine, it'll pass.”

  Iris laughed and shook her head. “You’re really cute right now and I’m going to remember exactly what your face looks like when you’re cranky in the morning for the rest of the day,” Iris changed the subject.

  Nat breathed deeply and swallowed. Why didn't she text Olivia?

  The elevator doors opened and they walked out, going to the car that was waiting and getting in. Iris settled back against the seat and closed her eyes, thinking of last night instead of this morning. It was a much more relaxing time.

  After a few minutes, Nat was open and loving again, snuggling up with her and kissing her neck and her face and trying to love her. Time was precious and they didn't have enough.

  The affection was reassuring and Iris put the morning down to a lack of sleep and Nat’s guilt about not texting Olivia. She felt
herself being convinced that Nat would keep being interested in her if they shared little intimacies like this.

  “Can we just tell the driver to take us to the ocean and stay there all day?” Iris asked. She was wistful and a little sad that they were almost to the set.

  “My agents would kill me,” Nat whispered, kissing her cheek. “But I'd love to. One more day,” she reminded.

  “Yeah, Stan would fly up here and murder me too but maybe it’ll go quick,” Iris said.

  “It will,” Nat soothed. “One more day,” she repeated.

  “It’s weird because it’s not like I don’t like the work. It’s interesting and fun. I’m enjoying the experience but not being able to make out with you all the time is frustrating,” Iris sighed.

  Nat squeezed her tighter. “Will you go to dinner with me tonight?”

  If they went again tonight it would be a routine. Something new and good in Natalie's life. She tried to push the darkness out and think of that.

  “Isn’t that our thing?” Iris smiled and kissed Nat’s lips.

  “Mmm,” Nat hummed tasting her and wanting the moment to stay.

  “I like eating with you. It’s comfortable,” Iris said.

  “Yeah,” Nat said, watching her. She was so lovesick and sad right now. She wasn't sure how she was going to get through the long day.

  Other people had been trying to get a hold of her. Her phone was a mess with emails, missed calls, and notifications.

  Nat didn't care about any of that.

  There was Olivia and there was Iris now. Everyone else was in the background.

  Iris sat quietly and checked her phone, posting a few things to her public Instagram from the set. A picture of her with some of the crew, a candid of the girls from the hair and makeup trailer while they worked on Nat, and then one of Nat in black and white, smiling at something that was just out of frame.

  Nat held her and realized she was really starting to love her. Was that all it took? Just a couple of days?

  She tried to remember before with Olivia. How long did that take? Truth was, she didn't know what was happening to her then.